Hotel Champlain announces two new appointments to the food & beverage team

Hotel Champlain, a Curio Collection by Hilton, is pleased to announce two recent appointments to the Hotel Champlain Food and Beverage team, Kenzie Allen to Executive Chef and Israel Prado Rivas to Food & Beverage Director. Both Allen and Rivas bring a wealth of experience and a strong collaborative history, having previously worked together at the Viewline Hotel in Snowmass. Their combined expertise will help lead the hotel’s vision to bring new and exciting food and beverage offers to guests and locals in Burlington.

Kenzie Allen joins the Hotel Champlain team with over a decade of culinary experience. Allen is passionately creative when it comes to butchery and classic French and American cooking techniques. She previously served as Executive Chef at renowned restaurants, including Due Forni Italian Kitchen in Austin, before she headed West to open STK, and Rooftop STK in San Diego. Most recently, Allen played a key role in reopening JRDN restaurant at Tower 23 Hotel, where she took over full menu control during the rebrand. An accomplished butcher and connoisseur of classic French and American techniques, Allen plans to incorporate her expertise and daily inspirations into her cuisine as she embarks on her new role at Hotel Champlain as the Executive Chef of Lily May’s and the banquet & special events team.

Israel Prado Rivas joins the team at Hotel Champlain with over 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry, having honed his skills in Colorado and Florida. With a past of managing multiple restaurant outlets at a time during his positions at Waldorf Astoria Naples, Naples Grand Beach Hotel, and Sarasota Modern, Rivas brings exceptional service and detailed orientation to each new venture. Now in Burlington, Rivas is excited to bring his expertise and passion to Hotel Champlain, eager to make a lasting impact in this new chapter of his career.

“We are excited to welcome two very talented staff members joining our team at Hotel Champlain,” says Justin Chapman, General Manager at Hotel Champlain. “We are looking forward to seeing the creative and innovative flair Kenzie will be bringing to the Hotel Champlain team. As for Israel, with his vast experience, we know our team has found a great leader to bring in new and fresh ideas for all the F&B aspects of our wonderful newly renovated hotel.”

Hotel Champlain completed the transition to a Curio Collection property, part of the Hilton portfolio, in the summer of 2024. The transformation included a $30-million property wide renovation including new guest rooms, seafood restaurant, all-day-cafe, and state-of-the-art fitness center. Hotel Champlain is passionate about showing guests and locals its commitment to supporting local Burlington and Vermont businesses. In doing so, the hotel has partnered with brands such as Local Maverick, a platform that highlights local Vermont businesses, to open Maverick Market at Hotel Champlain. The market will offer a variety of items and snacks from local businesses in Burlington and around the state.